Costain, the smart infrastructure solutions company, has appointed Simon Ellison as rail sector director.

Environmental organisation GRID-Arendal with support from the UN Environment Program has launched the world’s first publicly accessible global database of mine tailings storage facilities.

Balfour Beatty, working on behalf of Network Rail, successfully completed the electrification of 77 km of the Great Western Railway (GWR) line between Bristol and Cardiff; a significant contribution to Network Rail’s overall Greater West Electrification Programme to electrify 275 km of train line between Cardiff and London.

The boards of Anglo American plc, Anglo American Projects UK Limited ("Bidco") and Sirius Minerals Plc are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition pursuant to which Bidco shall acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Sirius (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition is intended to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act.

By developing technology innovation and rethinking business models, a new EU-funded project hopes to improve the commercial viability of mining modest but high-grade critical raw mineral deposits across Europe.
GlobalData's mining technology writer Heidi Vella looks at the project.

Tensar’s TensarTech TR2 reinforced soil wall system was the ideal solution for a temporary raised platform, allowing the safe installation of piles for a new bridge on the Manchester Airport Relief Road Scheme.

Attendees at our Tensar Academy What if… workshop at the Institution of Civil Engineers on 19 September heard how project trials of the new Tensar T-value method have cut working platform costs by up to 30%.

A Hochtief joint venture has been awarded with a GBP 400 million contract to deliver the second phase of the London Power Tunnels (LPT2) project.  

Ten years after the inaugural summit in 2010, One Young World 2019 took place in London, England from the October 22–25. Aligned with our Manifesto vision of being passionately committed to the pursuit of a better world through positive change, Hatch had the unique opportunity to participate in the summit for the first time, sending five representatives, one from each region in which Hatch operates around the world.

Crossrail Ltd has updated the Crossrail Board on progress to complete the Elizabeth line.

Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering announced the appointment of Jane Towse-Laval as Director of Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering, responsible for providing strategic leadership to the company’s portfolio of geotechnical projects across the UK.

Technology group wishes to strengthen nonwovens business

Balfour Beatty, working in partnership with Thames Water, has saved over one million plastic bags from landfill by utilising a waste plastic asphalt on a key London cycle lane in Stratford, through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

• A further 24 km of mechanised tunnelling and construction of 37 km underground mineral transport system
• Start of construction for Drives 2 + 3 in late June 2019
• Mining of world’s largest polyhalite deposit at Woodsmith Mine near Whitby in North Yorkshire, England, from 2021

Balfour Beatty was commended at the New Engineering Contract (NEC) awards ceremony last week as it secured the 2019 ‘Contract of the Year’ award.

HS2 has released a set of new images showing progress at London Euston where the team this week completed the demolition of the former BHS warehouse on Hampstead Road, close to the new station’s proposed Camden Town entrance.

Esri UK, the world's leading provider of geographic information systems (GIS), has awarded a solution developed by a Skanska, Costain and Strabag joint venture working on HS2 with the ‘Map Creator’ award at its annual event.

Andrew Wyllie visited a polyhalite mine as part of his tour of the region. ICE President Andrew Wyllie has described the Sirius Minerals polyhalite mine as a “fantastic example of UK engineering at its best”.

Highways England has revealed that self-driving trucks are being tested on the UK’s biggest road upgrade, the A14 improvement scheme between Cambridge and Huntingdon, which is being delivered by a joint venture comprising Costain, Balfour Beatty and Skanska.

Infrastructure professionals can find out how the latest site characterisation strategies and Geo-data sharing platforms are transforming ground risk management in the delivery of major projects as Fugro launches its 2019 UK seminar programme.